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the sailor, "wherever I am, I am determined to keep the Sabbath." After a few more words, the captain settled with him, and he left the boat. He was soon offered higher wages if he would come back, but he refused. In a few days he shipped at New Orleans for Europe. The first newspaper he took up on his arrival, contained an account of the terrible disaster which happened to this boat soon after he left it. One morning its boiler burst, and nearly one hundred lives were lost. This dreadful disaster he had escaped, by adhering, at all hazards, to his determination, wherever he was, to keep the Sabbath.

Sabbath time is precious time. None of it should be wasted. A person being invited to go on that day on an excursion for pleasure, replied, "I should like an excursion very well, but I have but one Sabbath in the week, and I can't spare that." This was an answer worthy of an undying being, and a child of God. When we have but one day in the week exclusively devoted to the concerns of eternity, while six are devoted to the affairs of time, can we spare that one day for pleasure? It is the best of the seven, worth more than all the rest, and, when properly spent, the day for the highest kind of enjoyment.

Dear young friends, long may our land enjoy its Sabbaths, as days of spiritual rest and refreshment. Britain has been, till this time, a great country; but let her give up her Sabbath, and she will cease to be great, and the curse of the Lord will begin to rest upon her.

HOWARD'S OPINION OF SWEARERS.

MR. HOWARD, the philanthropist, standing one day in the street, heard some dreadful oaths and curses from a public house opposite. Having occasion to go across, he first buttoned up his pocket, saying to a bystander, "I always do this when I hear men swear, as I think that any one who can take God's name in vain, can also steal, or do anything else that is bad." The swearer is not to be trusted.

Let our young friends who may live in an atmosphere of profanity, beware of this awful sin; and avoid the beginnings of such an evil. God has set a mark on this vice, and He not unfrequently punishes it by directly answering in judgment the prayer that is profanely uttered. "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."

HARVEST.

ANOTHER harvest has now been completed. The diligent husbandman has at last reaped the reward of all his toil, and anxiety, and care. Let us (1.) give thanks to God for having so abundantly multiplied the seed sown, and filled His granaries for supplying His children with bread. (2) Seek, above all things, to have the seed of God's Word sown continually in our hearts, and blessed with the showers of His grace for producing the fruits of the Spirit. (3.) Labour diligently, by anxious effort and prayer, and by setting a holy and self-denying example to all about us, that the precious seed of the Gospel may be scattered throughout the whole world. (4.) Be thankful to God for present Gospel fruits in ourselves or others, yield ourselves anew to His service, and look forward with holy joy to the great harvest-day, when all God's children shall be gathered home TO REAP ETERNAL JOYS! "They joy before thee according to the joy in harvest." "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." "He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

THANKSGIVING FOR HARVEST.

PRAISE to God, immortal praise,
For the love that crowns our days!
Bounteous source of every joy,

Let thy praise our tongues employ !

For the blessings of the field;
For the stores the gardens yield;
For the joy which harvests bring;
Grateful praises now we sing

Clouds that drop refreshing dews;
Suns that genial heat diffuse;
Flocks that whiten all the plain,
Yellow sheaves of ripened grain.

All that Spring, with bounteous hand,
Scatters o'er the smiling land;
All that lib'ral Autumn pours,
From her overflowing stores

These, great God, to thee we owe;
Source whence all our blessings flow,
And for these our souls shall raise
Grateful vows, and solemn praise.

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FRUITS OF THE GOSPEL IN IRELAND.

KIND lady, who has recently visited Ireland, and has often furnished us with accounts of the progress of the missions there, sends us the following description of what is doing in one of the fields of missionary labour in the western districts of Connemara. The woodcut in the opposite page will give our readers some idea of this interesting spot :

"F shall now try to describe a Sabbath school scene at Aasleagh. The drawing will recal to you the singular beauty of that locality. You will remember the grand mountains with their sharp thin edges, and their crater-like summits, from 1500 to 3000 feet high, the emerald of the grassy slopes on the one side contrasting and combining with the rich purple and blue of the rocky hollows and precipices on the other. Twisting among these mountains for ten miles is the Killery bay, which has appropriated to itself the characteristic beauties of river, lake, and ocean. It is the head of the bay which is shewn in the sketch, with the church on the right side, and Aasleagh lodge, the residence of the Hon. D. Plunket, on the left. The intermediate buildings are offices and a cottage connected with his house. Four years ago the congregation assembled in the hall and porch of the lodge-the clergyman preached from the stair. Now, by Mr. Plunket's exertions, a pretty church has been built in a place where, seven years ago, there was not a single resident Protestant. The day-school is attended by above forty convert children, who are most intelligent and well-behaved. A good number of girls and boys, once at school, are now in situations, rejoicing the hearts of those who, in days of trial and discouragement, commenced and persevered in their Christian labours. On Sabbath, at ten o'clock, the children meet at the schoolhouse, which is a mile back from the church. Public worship is at twelve, when between sixty and seventy attend. In the afternoon the clergyman preaches on the opposite side of the bay; and school is held at five o'clock in the cottage, among the trees next the church. It was a lovely evening. Heaven and earth were filled with light and glory. The mountains stood round about us-symbols and witnesses of those covenant promises, on the strength of which we met the dear children, and read with them the Word of God. Several classes were arranged on the grass among

the trees. One of them was taught by a pleasing-looking young woman of nineteen, herself the first fruits of the school. Seven years ago, she, with many other naked, hungry, ignorant children, had come to the school. Christian love cherished and taught them, and has already reaped a rich reward. This girl's mind seemed early taught by the Spirit, and a steady course of intelligent, consistent piety has, we trust, proved it to be His work. I was very much pleased with the three girls and two boys I got charge of, they seemed so interested and serious."

Our readers will remember the interesting account we gave them in our August number of the Record,* of a little girl who had grace to speak a word for Christ, and it is of the same child that the lady, from whose letter we are quoting, says:—

"Easter came, and Mary was not taken away. In July I saw her, and had the pleasure of hearing her read and answer very nicely in Scripture. One day we were told Mary's mother had come and insisted on her going home, and of course the child could not be kept; she came one day to Mr. Plunket's to bid the kind ladies good-by. They talked to her of God's watchful care-of the strength she would need, and which would not be denied if asked in prayer and assured her of their constant prayers for her; also telling her that perhaps God meant to use her as His messenger of mercy to her father and mother, whom she must try to please in every thing, except when they wished her to disobey God's Word. The poor thing was very quiet, evidently struggling with deep sorrow, and trying to keep back the tears which gathered in her eyes. There was no display of feeling or wish to excite interest, and so we commended her to God, and the word of His grace.

"In August Miss Aldridge wrote: 'Mary MacLouglan is going on as we anticipated, most satisfactorily, and her trials are great. She is forbidden to go to church or school. On Saturday she came to Mrs. Tynan, (the schoolmistress,) to beg that she might remain all night, so as to be out of the way when her parents went to mass. She did not go to church, (that was, the service held in the school-room on the Sabbath afternoon, by the clergyman from Aasleagh,) as they had not given her leave, but she sat on the roadside and read the Bible with another girl. She seems to see her duty as clearly as those only see who allow themselves to

* Page 85.

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